Light guide plate mold

ABSTRACT

A light guide plate mold is configured for manufacturing a light guide plate having a number of microstructures. The light guide plate mold includes a substrate and a number of heating members. The substrate defines a number of grooves therein. The heating members are respectively received in the grooves. Each heating member has a height less than a depth of the corresponding groove. The grooves and the heating members cooperatively define a number of receiving spaces for forming the microstructures of the light guide plate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of copending application,entitled “LIGHT GUIDE PLATE MOLD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING LIGHTGUIDE PLATE USING SAME”, with application Ser. No. 12/482370 filed onJun. 10, 2009. The content of the above-referenced application is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to molds and, particularly, to a lightguide plate mold and a method for manufacturing a light guide platehaving microstructures.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, light guide plates having microstructures may be manufacturedby injection molding. The microstructures are a plurality of lightdiffusing materials such as titanium oxide and silicon dioxide. Thediffusing materials are used to disperse what would otherwise be singleinternal reflections of incident light in the light guide plates so asto form an uniform luminance for light guide plates. In addition, thesubstrates of the light guide plates need to be clean, thus themanufacturing method is time-consuming.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a light guide plate mold and amethod for manufacturing a light guide plate having microstructureswhich can overcome or at least alleviate the above-mentioned problem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the light guide mold including a number ofheating members according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the first embodiment of a method formanufacturing a light guide plate using the light guide plate mold shownin FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-5 are schematic views of a light guide plate placed on the lightguide mold in three stages of performing the method shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a light guide mold according to a secondembodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a light guide mold according to a thirdembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a light guide plate mold 10 used for manufacturinga light guide plate having microstructures according to a firstembodiment includes a substrate 12 and a number of heating members 16.

The substrate 12 can be made of metal or ceramic. The size of thesubstrate 12 can be designed according to the size of the light guideplate. The substrate 12 has a first surface 12 a and defines a number ofgrooves 14 in the first surface 12 a of the substrate 12. In thisembodiment, the shape of the grooves 14 cross-section is square. In thisembodiment, uniform intervals are maintained between the grooves 14.

The heating members 16 are respectively received in the grooves 14. Eachheating member 16 includes a main body 162 and a pattern 164. The mainbody 162 includes a first surface 162 a and second surface 162 bopposite to the first surface 162 a. When each heating member 16 isreceived in each corresponding groove 14, the second surface 162 b ofeach main body 162 contacts the bottom portion of the groove 14. Thepattern 164 is disposed on the first surface of the main body 162. Theshape of the pattern 164 is designed according to need of users, such asprotrusion or recess. In this embodiment, the pattern 164 is aprotrusion and integrated with the main body 162. Each heating member 16has a height less than a depth of the corresponding groove 14. Suchthat, the grooves 14 and the heating members 16 cooperatively define anumber of receiving spaces 24.

A number of cooling members 18 are disposed in the substrate 12 of thelight guide plate mold 10. Each cooling member 18 is positioned betweenthe adjacent grooves 14. The cooling members 18 are configured forcooling a light guide plate substrate to be molded. In this embodiment,the cooling members 18 are heat pipes.

Referring to FIG. 2, a method for manufacturing a light guide platehaving a number of microstructures includes the following steps:providing a light guide plate mold including a substrate defining anumber of grooves and a number of heating members respectively receivedin the corresponding grooves, the grooves and the heating memberscooperatively defining a number of receiving grooves; placing a lightguide plate substrate on the light guide plate mold; melting theportions of the light guide plate substrate spatially corresponding tothe heating members using the heating member such that the receivingspaces are filled with the melted portions of the light guiding platesubstrate; cooling the light guide plate substrate and the light guideplate mold; removing the light guide plate mold to form the light guideplate having the microstructures corresponding to the receiving spaces.

Referring to FIG. 3, a light guide plate substrate 22 is placed on thefirst surface 12 a of the substrate 12 of the light guide plate mold 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, when each heating member 16 is actuated, theportions 26 of the light guide plate substrate 22 spatiallycorresponding to the grooves 14 are melted. The receiving space 24 arefilled the melted portions of the light guide plate substrate 22 to formmicrostructures 28. Shape of each receiving space 24 is corresponding toeach microstructure 28 needed to form in the light guide plate 20.

The temperature of the portions of light guide plate substrate 22between the microstructures 28 is high due to actuating the heatingmembers 16, especially when the substrate 12 is made of metal. In orderto prevent the light guide plate substrate 22 from deforming, especiallythe portions of light guide plate substrate 22 between themicrostructures 28, the cooling members 18 are provided to dispose inthe substrate 12 of the light guide plate mold 10 and advantageouslyposition between the adjacent grooves 14 for effectively cooling thelight guide plate substrate 22.

After the microstructures 28 are formed, the light guide plate substrate20 is cooled to solidify the microstructures 28. Referring to FIG. 5,the light guide plate mold 10 is removed to obtain the light guide plate20 having the microstructures 28. In this embodiment, eachmicrostructure 28 has a recess 282 corresponding to the pattern 164. Itis to be understood, after removing the light guide plate mold 10, thelight guide plate substrate 22 of the light guide plate 20 thenundergoes a polishing process.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a light guide mold 30 according to a secondembodiment. The light guide mold 30 is similar to the light guide mold10 of the first embodiment except that the shape of the grooves 14cross-section is circular. In this embodiment, the heating members 16are circular, corresponding to the grooves 14. In this embodiment, thesubstrate 12 is made of ceramic. The receiving spaces 24 cooperativelyformed by the grooves 14 and heating members 16 are circular.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a light guide mold 40 according to a thirdembodiment. The light guide mold 40 is similar to the light guide mold10 of the first embodiment except that the shape of the grooves 14cross-section is V-shaped. In this embodiment, the heating members 16are V-shaped correspondingly to the grooves 14. In this embodiment, thesubstrate 12 is made of ceramic. The receiving spaces 24 cooperativelyformed by the grooves 14 and heating members 16 are V-shaped.

The heating member of the light guide plate mold can be designedaccording to the grooves to form corresponding microstructures on thelight guide plate, thus the light guide plate mold is convenient forusers. The light guide plate is manufactured by heating the heatingmember of the light guide plate mold, thus the method for manufacturingthe light guide plate using the light guide plate mold is simple andtime-saving.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth inthe foregoing description, together with details of the structures andfunctions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, andchanges may be made in detail, especially in matters of arrangement ofparts within the principles of the invention to the full extentindicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A light guide plate mold for manufacturing a light guide plate havinga plurality of microstructures, the light guide plate mold comprising: alight guide plate mold substrate defining a plurality of groovestherein; a plurality of heating members respectively received in thegrooves, each heating member having a height less than a depth of thecorresponding grooves, the grooves and the heating members cooperativelydefining a plurality of receiving spaces for forming the microstructuresof the light guide plate; and a plurality of cooling members, eachcooling member positioned between two corresponding adjacent grooves ofthe light guide plate mold substrate.
 2. The light guide plate mold ofclaim 1, wherein the cooling members are heat pipes.
 3. The light guideplate mold of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of metal.
 4. Thelight guide plate mold of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made ofceramic material.
 5. The light guide plate mold of claim 1, wherein eachheating member comprises a main body comprising a first surface and anopposite second surface contacting the bottom of the correspondinggroove, and a pattern formed on the first surface of the main body. 6.The light guide plate mold of claim 5, wherein the pattern is aprotrusion.
 7. The light guide plate mold of claim 1, wherein the shapeof the grooves in cross-section is circular.
 8. The light guide platemold of claim 1, wherein the shape of the grooves in cross-section isV-shaped.